MARTIN KELLYRenowned plastic surgeon and charity founder Martin Kelly died at the age of 42 after a heart attack outside his London home on 20 May, 2008.He specialised in rhinoplasty and was believed to have operated on several show business stars. His charity, Facing The World, treats children from poor countries with severe facial deformities.Mr Kelly was married to the British actress Natascha McElhone, who was best known for her roles in The Truman Show, Ronin and American series Californication. At the time of his death she was pregnant with their third child.Martin Kelly (born Martin Hirigoyen) studied in Paris, Winchester and then St Bartholomew’s Hospital. He qualified as a doctor in 1989 and then trained as a plastic surgeon with the Royal College of Surgeons.He spent several years researching the field in the UK, Paris and New York, and published more than 30 papers on plastic surgery. He worked for London Plastic Surgery Associates and was also a consultant at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.Among his celebrity clients, it was reported that Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had gone to him to have her nose restructured following several years of cocaine abuse. He told Tatler in 2007: "The majority of my time is spent restoring and beautifying noses; some mutilated, some misshapen from birth."In 2003 he and fellow professional Norman Waterhouse set up Facing The World with the aim to "treat the most severely disfigured children at the end of other organisations queues."A memorial fund for the charity has been set up in Mr Kelly's name - and you can donate to it here.Mr Kelly had previously volunteered in Afghanistan and Cambodia.He was found in the doorway of his Fulham home by a friend and taken to hospital but pronounced dead on arrival. His widow, whom Mr Kelly married in 1998, flew back from filming in America with their two young children Theodore and Otis.His father-in-law, the newspaper columnist Roy Greenslade, said: "It’s still a mystery about the death. It’s so unexpected. Such a fit, handsome, fighting fit young man of 42. There was no indication, not in the least. He was a great rider, a great skier, and he was just a fit, fit, kind of chap. He was a truly magnificent man as a surgeon, as a father and as a husband."Mr Waterhouse paid tribute to his charity work, saying: "I am personally deeply proud of Martin’s achievement and the energy and skill he brought to the work we did together. He was one of a handful of worldwide respected names in nasal surgery, whether it was cosmetic or reconstructive surgery."Sarah Driver-Jowitt, Facing The World’s executive co-ordinator, said: "I find it impossible to refer to him in the past tense. Martin was one of the most alive people I have ever met. He was loyal, dedicated, enormously funny and he really cared about every single person he looked after - both in his professional life and with the charity."She added: "He was incredibly devoted to his family - his children were his life. He and Natascha were the most amazing couple, just two beautiful people who were made for each other."
Keep me informed of updates
